第32部分(第3/7 頁)

that　he　wasn？t　going　to　smoke　so

much　anymore？she　didn？t　think　it　was　mature；　or　collegiate；　or　whatever？but　this　was　an

emergency。　He　had　to　calm　down。　Then　maybe　he　could　think。

Ornot　think。

His　father　swallowed　and　set　his　tumbler　down　on　the　armrest　of　his　chair。　？And　there？s

something　else。？　Something　else？　What　other　torture　could　his　father　possibly　inflict　on　him？

What　could　be　worse　than　not　graduating　with　the　rest　of　his　friends？　Military　school？　Reform

school？Prison？

Nope；　repeating　senior　year　would　be　far　more　humiliating　and　way　less　exciting。

The　Captain？s　face　was　so　somber　that　Nate　had　to　lower　his　eyes　to　his　father？s　nautical…striped

dress　shirt　in　order　to　keep　from　pletely　panicking。　Once　a　year　his　mother　ordered　a　plete

custom…made　wardrobe　from　one　of　the　exclusive　men？s　boutiques　on　Jermyn　Street　in

London？new　suits；　ties；　and　dress　shirts？all　fitted　to　the　Captain？s　proportions。

？I　want　you　to　meet　my　friend；　Captain　Chips　White；？　his　father　continued。　？I　obviously　haven？t

gotten　through　to　you；　but　if　anyone　can；　it？s　my　old　navy　mentor。？　Nate　slunk　down　further　in　his

chair。　Not　only　did　he　have　to　get　chewed　out　by　his　father；　but　this　scary　Captain　Chips　guy　his

dad　was　always　going　on　about　would　be　in　on　his　demise　too？　Chips　would　probably　use　some

archaic　navy　torture　technique　to　teach　him　a　lesson？hold　him　underwater　until　he　nearly　drowned；

or　take　him　sailing；　cut　off　his　nuts；　and　then　throw　him　overboard　to　swim　back　to　Manhattan

through　the　polluted　Hudson。　Nate　would　probably　grow　an　extra　arm　or　a　tumor　on　his　back；　and

he？d　go　from　being　happy…go…lucky；　easygoing　Archibald　to　a　hunchback